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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. root — of a plant
  3. clip — a video
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. last — finally
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — a tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. clip — to cut
  11. lean — thin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. tube — a container
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — final
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lean — to bend
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com